Entertaining clients on a grand scale

COMPANIES in Woking are seeing the conference and corporate hospitality market blossom, with more and more opportunities of informing and entertaining clients and staff in unusual and stimulating environments.

Latest addition to the portfolio, and following a massive investment in its facilities, is the RHS Gardens at Wisley where Sodexho Prestige is responsible for catering and hospitality for the visiting public and private functions. Its pretty Terrace Restaurant with William Morris wallpaper and a glazed extension that carries you into the world-famous grounds is available in the evenings after the gardens are closed to the public. “We work closely with local hotels and venues with conference facilities because we do not have that feature at present,” explains the appropriately named sales and marketing manager, Katrina Plant. “Corporate business comes to us in the evening for a different experience — perhaps canapés and cocktails or a more formal dinner with guest speaker or dancing. A short tour of the gardens led by a Wisley expert is also part of the package,” said Katrina. General manager Mark Robson who has spent much of his career at Sandown Park, another Sodexho client, says the marketing of Wisley has become much more pro-active since Katrina’s arrival. “Although we had good experience of how to look after corporate guests during the Wisley Music Festival, we are now delighted to take bookings on a much more regular basis and enable people to enjoy the ambience of this setting in a very exclusive way.” The Sodexho team at Wisley is gearing up for another music festival this June when its new resources will be a real benefit. “We are also investigating using marquees on the site so conferencing and daytime events could become practical,” says Katrina. “Currently we can cope with anything from 15 to 350 guests but the possibilities are much more ambitious. We really just want to talk to potential clients to find out what they want.” A little further down the A3 is the 18th century Painshill Park, with 160 acres of grounds landscaped by Charles Hamilton that have been subject to an award-winning restoration by the Painshill Park Trust. Its event facilities — catering for anything from a children’s birthday party to an annual meeting — include the Walled Garden with its Espalier marquee, new this year; the Amphitheatre with views to the gothic temple and the Lakeside that looks towards the Chinese bridge and Grotto Island. On the other side of the A3 is Brooklands Museum, with well-established hospitality facilities in its Edwardian clubhouse. With its slogan of “the right crowd and no crowding” Brooklands was always at the centre of the social scene in the jazz era of the 20s and 30s. Today caterers Alexander’s, who look after corporate activity at Brooklands, are getting ready for the arrival of the museum’s own Concorde at the end of May and by autumn plan to be using the supersonic aircraft as a very special corporate opportunity. Perhaps more business-like and certainly in the heart of the town are the extensive facilities provided by HG Wells, which states it is the largest conference and events centre in the county. Its contemporary rooms include one that can cope with 650 people theatre-style or provide a banquet for 350. Equipped with the latest high technology equipment, it is highly flexible and can be used for exhibitions and concerts as well as traditional business events such as seminars. HG Wells works closely with the neighbouring four-star Holiday Inn when overnight accommodation is required for organisers or delegates. The hotel on Victoria Way has a series of inter-linked conference and seminar rooms and the largest individual room can accommodate 50 delegates theatre-style. Hugo’s Brasserie on the ground floor provides relaxing dining for delegates when the work is over. A step or two out of the town centre on Hook Heath Road is the handsome converted mansion Gorse Hill, operated by Initial Style Conferences. Initial has a series of dedicated conference centres around the country and says it has considerable experience in running corporate team building and fun days. With its own comfortable bedrooms and residential training another speciality, the entire Gorse Hill centre can be booked exclusively for weekend events. Fitted out at the Lansbury Estate in Woking but obviously based a few miles away on the south coast at Hamble is Ecolan, a custom-built Moody 58 ketch rigged yacht, which boasts luxury accommodation for 10. Available for corporate charter through owners Lansbury Marine, Ecolan offers skippered sailing mainly around the Solent although longer voyages are available. The crew welcomes beginners and sailors alike and guests are invited to experience sailing this fine vessel. For more details of corporate hospitality opportunities contact Katrina Plant at Wisley Gardens on 01483 225329; Painshill Park, 01932 868001; Brooklands Museum, 01932 857381; HG Wells, 01483 712710; Holiday Inn, 01483 221000; Lansbury Marine, 01483 472571.